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56-year-old Noida man laid off after 14 years now works as delivery rider, internet calls his story 'powerful'
The rider told the entrepreneur that that he had worked in an insurance company for 14 years before being laid off during a round of job cuts in 2023.
A LinkedIn post by social entrepreneur Kiran Verma has sparked discussion about layoffs, ageism in hiring and the struggles many experienced professionals face after losing their jobs. The post recounts Verma's meeting with a 56-year-old Porter delivery partner in Noida who, he said, was laid off after serving an insurance company for 14 years.
In the post, Verma shared that he had booked a Porter delivery to send an urgent letter within Noida because it cost just ₹40. He said that an elderly delivery rider arrived to collect the envelope.
Since he lived on the first floor and was getting ready, he asked the delivery partner to come upstairs. The rider, whom Verma identified as Manoj, climbed the stairs despite some difficulty, declined an offer of water and handed over the package with a smile.
Verma recalled the man smiling and saying, "Aaj kaam hi nahi tha, wait kar raha tha kaam ke liye (There was no work today. I was waiting for a delivery request)."
Verma said the rider appeared well-dressed and spoke in a polished manner, prompting him to call the man back after he left. "I called him in and asked him to sit to relax," Verma wrote.
During their conversation, Manoj allegedly told Verma that he had worked in the administration department at Tata AIA Life Insurance for 14 years before being laid off during a round of job cuts in 2023.
Verma noted that he could not independently verify the exact reason behind the layoff or assess Manoj's performance at work. However, he said the former employee shared a remark that stayed with him.
"Beta jab sabzi banate hai toh curry leaf sabse pehle daalte hai, par jab sabzi khate hai toh sabse pehle curry nikalte hai," Manoj told him, comparing employees to curry leaves that add flavour during cooking but are removed before the meal is eaten.
He said that the rider also told him that he had struggled to find another full-time job because of his age and health, leading him to take up gig work as a Porter delivery partner.
The entrepreneur said he paid the rider more than the delivery fee as a gesture of gratitude before seeing him off from his balcony.
Reflecting on the encounter, Verma wrote, "Life is hard, real life situations are harder and the hardest is facing the reality that you wanted to do something but life don't consider you worth giving work."
(Also Read: 'I'd rather go back to that toxic workplace': Techie turns delivery rider after 1 year of unemployment)
Porter responds
The post prompted reactions from professionals, recruiters and startup founders.
Porter also responded publicly, writing, "We thank you for sharing this heartfelt post and appreciating the effort showcased by our team."
Social media reactions
One user wrote, "This is a powerful story that highlights the undervalued contributions of experienced professionals."
"Life is hard, people have battles we cannot see and sometimes we dont even understand. Kindness, compassion, a conversation is all a person needs to make it through the day, sometimes through a day that sucks so bad, they want to end it all. People need to stop being entitled and become more gentle, more forgiving, more empathetic," commented another.
"This genuinely made me pause. Thank you for sharing this story," wrote a third user.
